COSMETIC MORTAR

An incomplete copper-alloy cosmetic mortar of Iron Age to Roman date. Half of the bow and most of the suspension loop are missing due to old breaks. The bow is crescentic in form, U-shaped in cross section, with a deep central groove that shows possible signs of use wear. At the surviving end is an integrally cast zoomorphic terminal seemingly in the form of a bovine head with short triangular ears or horns, a raised brow, narrow snout and flaring nostrils and mouth. Along the back of the bow is central rib that expands towards an incomplete but integrally cast circular(?) suspension loop, which is now mostly incomplete due to old breaks. The entire object has a dark green patina with pitting and corrosion in places. It measures 33.65mm in surviving length, 8.13mm in width, 10.41mm in height/thickness at suspension loop, and weighs 6.20g.

Cosmetic mortars such as this were utilised as part of a two-piece set to grind small quantities of powder and probably had an association with fertility, some having animal head terminals. They appear unique to Britain during the later stages of the Iron Age and the Roman period. Similar examples are noted from Suffolk (e.g. SF-DAC2D3, SF-E4FCD6) and published by Jackson (2010: p. 7, Type G?) and suggest this example is of probable late Iron Age to Roman date, c.1st to 2nd centuries AD.